Moss may seem more banal than the beauty of, say, a fancy tropical plant – but that, and its happy self-sufficiency – is exactly where its appeal lies. Houseplant aficionados have started to turn to moss in recent years as a new way of bringing nature into garden-free homes.

When daylight is short and nature feels bound under the earth, it offers a convenient portion of green life, perched on a bookcase. I like to sit and admire the way it has mingled with the bulbs’ white roots and the tiny leaves of the moss. Now, in the early days of February, the hyacinth blooms have finished and only their sculptural leaves and the moss remain. Designed to resemble its natural counterpart, the Exo. The Exo Terra Moss Ball helps provide crystal clear water and reduce odors. Hands cold, I took the bag back into the warmth, and emptied its contents onto a little compost in a sturdy glass jar, in which hyacinth bulbs sit. Treats 30-60 liter (10-20 gal) terrariums. Never too much from one area – you want to leave enough for the moss to regrow – but a generous handful of a number of different varieties and colours. Marimo moss balls are easy to care for and low-maintenance. Although I live next to the woods, these are a conservation area, so I forage instead from the fuzzy, green-slicked brickwork and roofs of the sheds on my housing estate. In mid-December, I went outside with a plastic bag to undertake one of my favourite winter traditions: moss collecting.

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